Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

On Australia Day in the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury, we also honour dedicated and hardworking citizens in a number of ways. In the Hawkesbury, Peter Webb was named Hawkesbury's Citizen of the Year. He has worked tirelessly with the Suicide Prevention & Support Network Western Sydney. He is also involved in the organisation of this Sunday's Hope Walk at Clarendon. His aim has been to break the stigma of mental illness, support people who've considered suicide and provide support to those who've lost someone to suicide. Adam Higgins of Blaxlands Ridge was recognised as Young Citizen of the Year, thanks to his involvement with the Rural Fire Service Cadet Program at Colo High School, where he has served as senior deputy cadet for the last two years.

The work to establish Pink Finns earned Jodie Amor the Volunteer of the Year Award. Jodie and her team assist women and their families dealing with cancer. The Blue Datto Foundation, established by the Vassallo family in memory of their son, Philip, was recognised as Community Organisation of the Year. Their educational program, Keeping Safe, has brought driver safety to the forefront of schools across Western Sydney.

The Local Hero in the Hawkesbury was Peter Ross, who saved a two-year-old girl from drowning at North Richmond. His efforts in rescuing and performing CPR on this child changed her future and her family's future. Both Jacki-Lynn Griffiths and 10-year-old Lily Spies received the Environmental Award. Ms Griffiths has been rescuing local wildlife for the past 20 years, while Ms Spies's school project on the impact of single-use plastic bags inspired her to take up the issue with local council.

The St Matthews Bicentennial Team received the Hawkesbury Cultural Award for their brilliant celebration of the church and its parish. And, as the eye at many local events, Hawkesbury Camera Club were celebrated through the Hawkesbury Community Arts Award. In terms of the Order of Australia medal, my friend former councillor Christine Paine was honoured for her 25 years of passionate and dedicated service as a local Hawkesbury councillor. We all know how much she deserved that award. Each of these citizens and organisations contribute to the strong and vibrant fabric that holds the Hawkesbury community together and reminds us of how lucky we are to be part of that community.

On Australia Day, the Blue Mountains recognises its citizens who give of themselves for their community and they award three local citizen of the year awards. Carmel Higgins was named Blue Mountains Citizen of the Year, recognising almost 50 years of service to St Finbar's Netball Club, and the Blue Mountains Netball Association. Carmel began as coach for the club in 1970 and has served in virtually every executive position, including president. Most recently, she was involved in the Walking Netball project, which allows women to continue to play their beloved sport even as their knees grow older. Young Citizen of the Year was Andrew Gunn, in recognition of his service as a youth counsellor. In this role, he's used the Youth Summit Radio program to raise awareness about issues of youth homelessness, abuse, mental health and LGBTQI rights. The Springwood Foundation Day committee has organised the formal celebrations of the town's heritage over the past 20 years. They were awarded the Community Achievement of the Year Award for their efforts in fundraising through this event and contributing to the vibrancy of the local area.

Four people in the Blue Mountains received Australia Day honours. Heather Gwilliam of Mount Riverview and Ian Ellis, known as 'Ike', of Springwood, were both awarded the Order of Australia Medal. Ms Gwilliam has been a volunteer with Anglicare Disaster Recovery and Gateway, which provides resources for local families. I certainly benefitted from her leadership during the 2013 bushfires. Ian Ellis, a former Assistant Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force and a hostage negotiator, was instrumental in the development of alternative approaches for young offenders. They're both to be congratulated. Dr Caroline Bowen of Wentworth Falls was celebrated for her work in speech pathology through the Member of the Order of Australia. This shows just how vital having good speech is, and Dr Bowen has done a lot of work in this area.

The Conspicuous Service Cross was awarded to Chaplain (Air Commodore) Kevin Russell for his work in bringing gender and age diversity to the chaplain roles at the RAAF. He doesn't think they should all be white males, and he's gone out of his way to make a difference to the chaplain's program there.

These members are some of the many enthused, dedicated and compassionate citizens who have helped make the Blue Mountains the strong community that it is. We celebrate them and we thank them all for their contribution to our community.

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